Solidago plant named ‘Pluton’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of cut flower  Solidago  plant named ‘Pluton’, characterized by its strong and erect flowering stems; symmetrical branching habit; durable foliage that resists “yellowing”; uniform and freely flowering habit; daisy-type inflorescences with bright yellow-colored ray florets; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Solidago hybrida.

Variety denomination: ‘Pluton’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of cut flower Solidago plant, botanically known as Solidago hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Pluton’.

The new Solidago is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador. The objective of the breeding program is to create new cut flower Solidago cultivars with durable leaves, strong stems, desirable floret colors and good postproduction longevity.

The new Solidago originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador in February, 2000, of a proprietary Solidago selection identified as Line 52, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown Solidago selection, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Solidago was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador. The selection of this plant was based on its durable foliage, strong stems and desirable inflorescence form and attractive ray floret color.

Asexual reproduction of the new Solidago by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador in January, 2001. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Solidago are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Pluton has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or light level, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Pluton’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Pluton’ as a new and distinct cut flower Solidago:

-   -   1. Strong and erect flowering stems.     -   2. Symmetrical branching habit.     -   3. Strong foliage that resists “yellowing”.     -   4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Daisy-type inflorescences with bright yellow-colored ray         florets.     -   6. Good postproduction longevity.

Plants of the new Solidago can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Solidago differ from plants of the female parent selection primarily in foliage durability as plants of the new Solidago have more durable foliage than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Solidago can be compared to plants of the cultivar Tara, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador plants of the new Solidago differed from plants of the cultivar Tara in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Solidago were taller and broader than         plants of the cultivar Tara.     -   2. Plants of the new Solidago had longer lateral stems with         longer internodes than plants of the cultivar Tara.     -   3. Foliage of plants of the new Solidago was more durable than         foliage of plants of the cultivar Tara.     -   4. Plants of the new Solidago had longer leaves than plants of         the cultivar Tara.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Solidago showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Solidago.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Pluton’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering stem of ‘Pluton’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown and flowered during the fall and winter in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador, in an outdoor nursery and under conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial cut flower Solidago production. During the production of these plants, day temperatures ranged from 12 to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 5 to 12° C. Plants were about eight to nine months from planting rooted young plants when the photographs and the botanical description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Solidago hybrida cultivar Pluton. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary Solidago hybrida             selection identified as Line 52, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown Solidago hybrida selection,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 12 to 16 days at 17 to 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 30 to 35 days at             17 to 25° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; 162D to 161D in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous daisy-type cut flower Solidago.             Flowering stems upright and strong. Vigorous. Symmetrical             branching habit with long lateral branches.         -   Plant height.—About 109 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 27 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: About 20. Length:             About 29 cm. Diameter: About 1.7 mm. Internode length: About             2.7 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A to             137C.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple.             Durability: Leaves durable resisting “yellowing”. Length:             About 14.9 cm. Width: About 2 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Sparsely serrate. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent; rough. Color:             Developing foliage, upper surface: 137B. Developing foliage,             lower surface: 137C to 146B. Fully expanded foliage, upper             surface: 137A; venation, 146C to 144A. Fully expanded             foliage, lower surface: 137C to 138A; venation, 146A to             137B. Petiole length: About 3.5 mm. Petiole diameter: About             2.5 mm. Petiole color, upper surface: 146C to 144A. Petiole             color, lower surface: 146A to 137B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with narrowly             elliptic-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences terminal or             axillary. Disc and ray florets develop acropetally on a             capitulum. Inflorescences not fragrant. Inflorescences             persistent. Inflorescences face upright to outwardly.             Uniform and freely flowering habit.         -   Flowering response.—Plants flower year-round in Ecuador.             Plants begin flowering about 18 weeks after planting.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about two weeks as a cut flower.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About 342 inflorescences develop             per lateral branch.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 3.6 mm. Diameter: About             2 mm. Shape: Nearly oval. Color: 144C to 145B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4.6 mm. Depth (height):             About 3.9 mm. Diameter of disc: About 1.75 mm. Receptacle             height: About 2.1 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 3.1 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Number of ray florets per             inflorescence/arrangement: About 15 arranged in a single             whorl. Length: About 3.4 mm. Width: About 0.8 mm. Shape:             Narrowly elliptic. Apex: Obtuse with emarginations. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Orientation: Initially upright,             then mostly incurved. Color: When opening, upper surface:             3A. When opening, lower surface: 2A. Fully opened, upper             surface: 9A. Fully opened, lower surface: 2A.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.             Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About seven.             Length: About 5.3 mm. Diameter, apex: About 2.5 mm.             Diameter, base: About 0.5 mm. Shape: Tubular, salverform,             elongated. Apex: Five lobes; lobes acute. Color, immature:             7A. Color, mature: Apex and mid-section: 5A. Base: 145C.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 19. Length:             About 2.2 mm. Width: About 0.6 mm. Shape: Narrowly deltoid.             Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: 151B to             150A. Color, lower surface: N144C to 150C.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 4.3 mm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 3.6 mm. Length, seventh peduncle:             About 5.1 mm. Diameter: About 0.4 mm. Aspect: Erect to about             18° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent.             Color: N144C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Quantity per disc floret: One. Anther shape: Linear.             Anther length: About 0.9 mm. Anther color: 13A. Pollen             amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 13A. Gynoecium: Present on             both ray and disc florets. Quantity per floret: One. Pistil             length: About 5.3 mm. Stigma shape: Bilobed; lobes linear.             Stigma color: 5B. Style length: About 3.6 mm. Style color:             1C. Ovary color: 1D.         -   Seed.—Length: With pappus, about 2.5 mm; without pappus,             about 2 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Color: Dried, 199A to             N199B. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Solidagos has not been observed on plants grown under commercial     greenhouse conditions. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Solidago have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 7 to about 30° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of cut flower Solidago plant named ‘Pluton’, as illustrated and described. 